Farewell to Matyora (aka The Farewell)

Some of the most memorable images in all of cinema have been courtesy of Russian filmmakers and their utilization of fire. Think of Tarkovsky and the way he uses fire in films such as, The Mirror, Nostalghia, and The Sacrifice, and then there's Klimov and the literally unforgettable burning scene from Come and See. Elem Klimov is behind the camera yet again with this film which features scenes in which a giant tree is lit on fire, huts, and an entire village are burned. It's a metaphor for progress -- the destruction of the past and memory, to make way for the future, which takes the form of a dam which requires the relocation of a rural village. At least I think that's what was happening. To tell you the truth what was happening was far less important to me than the haunting, dreamlike imagery which has a way of capturing the past and memory in every frame. It's not the masterpiece of his Come and See, but it is an experience that lives on in memory. Faces and passage of time take on a new dimension, as Tarkovsky consistently proved. It's too bad that this film is all but forgotten.